Shared secrets: Web 2.0 and research in Social Sciences

Abstract

[EN] Web 2.0 represents a revolution in terms of the possibilities it offers for facilitating communication and collaboration between users something that has become increasingly common in the world of research. A mere few years ago, the information produced by scientists and scholars remained in the hands of a very limited circle of institutions and publishers, as if it were a guarded secret. Today that secret is being shouted from the rooftops and shared with the rest of the scientific community in order to make it more accessible and to allow new advances. A clear example of this can be found in the social sciences, where there is a constant increase in the production of articles and materials that in turn serve for the pursuit of further research, thereby promoting the continuous development of scientific knowledge. This new situation is being fostered by the proliferation of tools and applications that make it possible, but also by a change in mentality towards a philosophy of exchange and open access. In this article, we will examine this phenomenon using a methodological system based on the analysis of platforms for the exchange of scientific knowledge, and especially social networks (both general and specialising in the social sciences), in order to demonstrate their potential in a society that is becoming increasingly aware of the need to overcome physical or institutional boundaries and move forward together.

[FR] Le Web 2.0 représente une révolution en termes de contribution au développement de la communication et collaboration entre les usagers. Cela est devenu de plus en plus commun dans le monde des chercheurs. Il y a très peu de temps, le savoir produit par les scientifiques était accessible seulement aux institutions et maisons d’éditions comme si c’était un secret. La situation est en train de changer aujourd’hui car, d’une part, on est face à un phénomène de prolifération des outils et applications qui rendent ce savoir accessible et, d’autre part, on est témoins à un changement qui met au centre une philosophie de l’échange et de l’accès ouvert. Dans cet article, on examinera ces phénomènes à l’aide d’une méthodologie basée sur l’analyse des plateformes d’échange du savoir scientifique, c’est-à-dire des réseaux sociaux généraux ou spécialisés en sciences sociales afin de montrer leur potentiel dans une société qui devient de plus en plus consciente du besoin de progresser au delà des frontières physiques ou institutionnelles